The Do's and Don'ts of Fledgling Raising
by PhoenixRising4310
Summary: This will be a series of one-shots based on Castiel as a fledgling growing up in heaven with big brother Gabriel. It will also include other characters like Balthazar and maybe a couple of my own. Obviously its angel-centric with lots of fluff and family drama. Rated T due to some of Gabriels language and there may be some violence later on. Will be rewriting soon!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is my first supernatural fanfiction, so sorry if its completely terrible!**

**This is series of one-shots based on Castiel as a fledgling growing up etc. It will be angel-centric for obvious reasons with plenty of fluff and family drama in the later chapters. I unfortunately do not own supernatural or any of the characters in the show.**

**You can leave me a review in the box way below to let me know what you think and offer suggestions or PM me, however I may not get back to you straight away. If you want to get updates about when I update don't forget to follow my story below :)**

**Enjoy x**

* * *

_**Don't:** Forget Them_

Gabriel loved all his brothers and sisters, especially the youngest of heavens angels. He would often play with the fledglings and teach them new games, but he could never raise one himself. He had many important duties, being an archangel, this meant that he was never expected to take on a charge. That's the way he liked it, he didn't believe that he had the skills or responsibility to raise a fledgling. In fact, in all of heaven, he considered himself one of the least qualified to. So Gabriel was shocked to say the least, when his Father showed him a small bundle of blankets, with only a small mop of dark brown hair poking out, to hint at the contents and said, "He's yours."

"Im sorry. What!?" Gabriel exclaimed,

"He's yours." His Father repeated,

"B-but...Father!" The archangel protested, " I can't possibly raise a fledgling, I wouldn't even know what to-"

"I'm sure you'll figure it out," God cut him off, "I don't want any excuses Gabriel."

"Please, surely there must be someone else who can look after the fledgling."

"It's too late I have made up my mind" Gabriel got the feeling that arguing would get him nowhere. Sighing in defeat, he looked down at his new brother and felt his heart melt, as he stared into the youngers sky blue eyes. The blankets squirmed and he could just make out the ebony feathers of the boys wings. Never before had he seen an angel with such dark colouring.

"His wings." Gabriel stated with surprise,

"Ah, Yes. He will need them in the future, for his role in the 'bigger picture'. Its very important that you keep him safe. You must swear to me Gabriel, you will always watch over him."

"Of course I will, like with all my siblings, but if he really is that important, wouldn't it make sense if Michael raised the child." He suggested,

"Enough Gabriel, _You_ will care for the boy. I am finished discussing the matter. You may leave."

"Fine." Gabriel turned around and stormed through the doors, only once outside did he realise he was missing something, or more accurately someone.

Groaning, he walked back in, he could hear his father's deep chuckle and felt embarrassed. He hastily snapped up the boy and went to leave, before remembering he still didn't know what his new brother was called.

"Errm... So just a quick question, what's his name?"

"His name is Castiel, he will be the last of the fledglings."

"O-kay, gotcha." Gabriel didn't question Him and made his exit, heading towards his personal heaven. Looking at the baby in his arms, Gabriel smiled, but the child just gave him a blank stare. Huffing Gabriel mumbled under his breath, "At least your quiet."

* * *

Gabriel laid the boy down on his bed and stood for a moment wondering what to do with it. All Castiel did was stare absently at him, showing no real emotion. It was only when Gabriel flared his wings in frustration, did he gain a reaction from the child. Castiels face lit up with awe, as he watched the archangel stretch his wings in and out. Gabriel did this a few times, laughing as the baby angel went cross eyed. Then he made his wings disappear all together, at first Castiel looked confused and then tears began to stream down his young face and sobs echoed in the expansive room. Gabriel felt like a giant jerk and quickly made the golden feathers reappear again, but it was no use. He picked up Castiel and began to rock him in his arms, like Lucifer had done when he was a babe, whispering reassurances to his brother. Eventually the cries stopped and Castiel fell asleep curled up against Gabriels chest. The Elder let out a tired sigh, this was going to be hard work. He laid down on the large bed and wrapped them both in a cocoon of wings. Though only fledglings needed sleep, all angels could choose to sleep if they wanted to, but it was seen to many as a waste of time. Gabriel was one of them, but he found himself slowly succumbing to the darkness, as he listened to the steady pulsing of Castiels grace. He woke a few hours later, glad to find he hadn't crushed or smothered his new brother while he slept. Dad would not be pleased. Gabriel gently placed Castiel on the bed, laying the thin white sheet on top of him. He walked over to the large sofa and dropped down ungracefully, summoning a hot cup of coffee and a large slice of triple chocolate fudge cake. Angels also didn't need to eat, but Gabriel had a sweet tooth and loved anything with sugar in it. He cut off his other senses apart from taste and allowed himself to be overwhelmed by the sensational flavours exploding in his mouth. He didn't know how long he sat like this, but he was quickly kicked out of his comatose state as someone screamed his name in his mind.

**_GABRIEL_**

Said Angel shot upright and yanked open the door, "Seriously Raph! What's with the yelling you nearly blew my head off?" Gabriel asked angrily, one hand holding the door open, while the other pinched the bridge of his nose, uselessly trying to calm the headache building behind his eyes.

"Firstly, how many times do I have to tell you, to stop slaughtering my name with your slang! Secondly, I have been stood outside for the last ten minutes, trying to get your attention and thirdly -" Raphael stopped as she saw the chocolate frosting, smeared around his lips. "You were doing _it_ again weren't you!" She shouted accusingly, " Nevermind, the point is you're late and Michaels pissed."

Gabriel snorted "Maybe someone should take the stick out of his ass and see if there's an improvement." Raphael sighed in response of her brothers disrespect for their eldest sibling.

"Whatever. We're leaving, _now._" She said, pulling the younger archangel out of the room and slamming shut the door.

* * *

She didn't let go of his arm, until they were flying towards the meeting hall on the other side of heaven. Every so often, he would look back, feeling as though he had forgotten something important. It was only when they were halfway across heaven, when he saw Zachariah with his fledgling, did he remember his own. Gabriel did a U turn mid-air, praying Castiel was still sleeping on his bed, where he had left him. Thoughts began to race through his mind, but the most prominent one was, this was all Dads fault. He had tried to convince his Father, that him raising the fledgling was a bad idea, but did he listen. NO. Gabriel sped up, shooting towards his personal heaven. In the distance, he could just make out his older sisters voice calling him, ordering him to come back, but he ignored her. Normally, he would have to follow his elder siblings commands, but his promise to their Father overruled their authority and for that he was grateful. In seconds, he was outside his door, throwing it open, he was terrified to find the bed empty, the white sheet lying on the floor next to the bed. Gabriel started to panic, but was relieved that when he searched for Castiels grace, it was still in the room. There were very few places to hide and Gabriel began throwing couch cushions in the air, in an attempt to find the lost fledgling. Meanwhile, he called out his brothers name, but received no reply. Getting nowhere, Gabriel took a deep breath and scanned the room looking for the small boy. When he picked up the white sheet, it revealed a gap at the bottom of the bed. It was too small for him to fit through, but Castiel might. He quickly flipped the bed on its side, to find his little brother crying silent tears.

"Aww Cassie Im so sorry" Gabriel said softly, kneeling he carefully lifting the young boy, so his head rested against the archangels shoulder. "I haven't been a very good big brother have I." He whispered, stroking the youngers wings comfortingly. Sitting back on his heels, Gabriel moved Castiel so he could see his face and wiped away his tears.

"Well I promise Cas, I will never forget about you _ever_ again." He said smiling. There was a creak as the bed frame over balanced, smacking Gabriel in the back of the head, followed by a groan of pain. Then something truly amazing happened, Castiel laughed. Gabriel looked down shocked and slightly annoyed, he glared at the child, but there was no force behind it. In fact, this caused Castiel to laugh harder, which made Gabriel smile. The peaceful moment was ruined as Raphael walked in,

"What happened?!" She exclaimed, Gabriel looked around at the mess he had made looking for the fledgling and swiftly replied,

"It was him!"

* * *

**A/N: I'd love to know what you think, feel free to let me know down below or PM me x**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: This is my first supernatural fanfiction, so sorry if its completely terrible!**

**This is series of one-shots based on Castiel as a fledgling growing up etc. It will be angel-centric for obvious reasons with plenty of fluff and family drama in the later chapters. I unfortunately do not own supernatural or any of the characters in the show.**

**You can leave me a review in the box way below to let me know what you think and offer suggestions or PM me, however I may not get back to you straight away. If you want to get updates about when I update don't forget to follow my story below :)**

**Enjoy x**

* * *

_**Do:** Keep them Clean (Or try to)_

Gabriel waited patiently for the right time to strike, if he moved to soon his target would spook and run away. After an hour of hunting it down, he knew now was the time. He cautiously lifted the net, taking a step forward and then another. He saw the twitch of a muscle from his prey and new he'd been discovered. Lunging, he managed to tackle the figure to the ground. It was over.

"It's too late Cassie, I have you now and I will bathe you!" Gabriel cried in success.

Castiel let out a low growl of frustration, as his older brother dragged him towards their room. Gabriel didn't understand his brothers hatred to be cleaned, when he talked to others, they said that their fledglings loved bath time. This was just another trait, to add to the list of things, that made him different. Not that they were bad, but some, like this, could be a pain in the ass. For example, Castiels lack of communication, the boy would always make Gabriel work, just to get a sentence from him. However, Castiel was still young, only a few months old, the youngest in all of heaven. Gabriel had time to break these habits and make sure he had a real childhood.

Once inside, Gabriel made up a bath, keeping an eye on his fledgling, so that he didn't run away again. He didn't bother undressing Castiel he just, quite literally, threw him in as he was. There was a large splash, as the water made room for Castiels body, followed by another spray of water, as he shook out his black wings. Gabriel was now soaked, but dried himself with a snap of his fingers. He looked at the small boy, currently glaring at him in anger, that was obviously meant to be intimidating, but just looked adorable. When he told Castiel that, he got a face full of soapy liquid.

"Now, now, Cassie. That wasn't very nice." Gabriel laughed, Castiel turned his back on the elder. Still smiling, Gabriel began to clean the fledglings wings, enjoying the soft feel of his downy feathers, waiting to be replaced by his ones for flight. Castiels wings were bigger than most of his age, the tips of them would drag along the ground behind him, much to his displeasure. Gabriel knew that when he was older, his large wings would come in handy, as much as they annoyed him now.

* * *

It didn't take long, to wash the younger and soon Gabriel was drying him off. Once done, he sat Castiel on his lap and began to straighten his ruffled feathers into place. The first few times it happened, he thought Castiel was just fidgeting, that was until he let out a fit of giggles. There was no way...

"Castiel, are you ticklish?" Gabriel questioned, a smile growing on the archangels face.

"No." He replied shakily, fear building as Gabriels grin only widened.

"Oh CASSIE!" the archangel called out menacingly, as his brother ran away, "You can run, but you can't hide!"

It didn't take long to catch Castiel again, Gabriel quickly pinned him down, relishing in the happy squeals of laughter, coming from the writhing body beneath him. It was all over to soon though, as Lucifer landed a couple of metres away, distracting him long enough for Cas to escape. The younger immediately sought protection from the older archangel, hiding behind Lucifers legs.

"Don't try to stop me brother, Castiel is mine!" Gabriel announced dramatically, inching towards the elder.

"You know it doesn't have to be this way Gabriel." Lucifer smirked,

"I'm afraid it does." With that Gabriel flew at his older brother, who easily dodged to the side. It was Lucifers turn to attack and soon he over powered Gabriel, forcing him to the ground, before torturing him the same way he had Castiel. The youngest angel was sat a short distance away from the scene, smiling happily, as Gabriel unleashed pained cries of laughter.

"L-LU-LUCI PHE-PLEASE!" The trapped archangel begged, breathlessly, feeling nice Lucifer stopped, allowing his brother a breather. Only seconds later, he was betrayed for his kindness, as Gabriel held onto his arms, while Michael swooped towards them. Both brothers went flying, when they collided and as they rolled out their momentum, each fought for dominance. Of course Michael won. He straddled his brother from behind and let his hands do all the work. Lucifer howled in laughter, while Michael unrelentingly tickled him. Looking up from the ground, he just managed to make out one word, before succumbing to the elders antics:

" T-TRAH-TRAIHTORR!"

Gabriel felt guilty, after all Lucifer had stopped when he asked, it was only fair... With that thought in mind, Gabriel tackled Michael to the floor and with the help of Lucifer, they managed to keep him down, while they worked their magic. It took longer to break Michael, the stubborn ass, but they did it eventually and soon all three of them were laughing; Castiel who was sat on the sidelines couldn't help but laugh too, as he watched the eldest and most serious angel in heaven, break down into fits of giggles. It took a moment for Castiel to realise, suddenly, he was the only one laughing. He immediately sobered, taking in his brothers evil smirks. They all stood and stepped towards him. He was on his feet in an instant,

"Cassie," Gabriel sang spookily,

"Don't worry," Lucifer continued in the same voice,

"We just want to play." Michael finshed and they all at the same time, did the same creepy head tilt, that sent shivers down Castiels spine.

"NO!" Castiel shouted, running towards the Garden, he could hear the three of them on his tail. He glanced behind him. All of a sudden, he ran into something. He landed in a heap, covered in... was this dirt? He looked up to Joshua, who was wearing an amused smile on his face. It wasn't long, before the archangels came running round the corner and took in the scene before them. Soon all three erupted in laughter, but surprisingly it was Gabriel who stopped first, flying towards Castiel shouting, "BATH TIME KIDDO!"

Castiel ran.

* * *

**A/N: I'd love to know what you think, feel free to let me know down below or PM me x**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: This is my first supernatural fanfiction, so sorry if its completely terrible!**

**This is series of one-shots based on Castiel as a fledgling growing up etc. It will be angel-centric for obvious reasons with plenty of fluff and family drama in the later chapters. I unfortunately do not own supernatural or any of the characters in the show.**

**You can leave me a review in the box way below to let me know what you think and offer suggestions or PM me, however I may not get back to you straight away. If you want to get updates about when I update don't forget to follow my story below :)**

**Elizar - [E-lie-sir]**

**Enjoy x**

* * *

**Don't** **:**_ Get Jealous_

"- 2...1... Ready or not, here I come!" Gabriel shouted, finally opening his eyes. Much to his disappointment, Castiel was still stood where he had left him 30 seconds ago. "Cas, how many times do I have to tell you; the point of hide and find is that, you hide," Gabriel stated, pointing at the clueless fledgling, "and I find." The archangel shook his head encouragingly, but Castiel continued to stare blankly at the elder.

"Why?"

"Because... You just do." Gabriel sighed in frustration,

"But, why?" Castiel questioned,

"It's fun." Gabriel exclaimed. The fledgling just shrugged, not understanding how having 'fun', would help him complete his duties as an angel of the Lord. Knowing he was getting nowhere fast and he still had a group of fledglings to hunt down, he wondered about leaving the boy and going to finish the game. Gabriel couldn't leave Castiel on his own though. It was then the elder noticed a small figure, sitting under a tree, a short distance away. He stood confused for a moment, about the identity of the angel. He knew it couldn't be a new born, as Castiel was the last of them, but Gabriel had never before seen this fledgling, or spoken to them. For a moment, he felt guilty for not knowing the kids name, until Castiel informed him that the fledgling in question, would rarely 'hang' with the rest of the group, or show up for that matter. Gabriel still felt bad about not noticing his sister before, however this could be useful.

"Hey Cassie, how about while I go find the others, you stay with..." Gabriel gestured towards the tree,

"Her name is Elizar and _no one_ talks to her; You didn't even know her name." Castiel pointed out.

"Well now I do! Why doesn't anyone speak to her?" Gabriel asked curiously and Cas shifted uncomfortably,

"She's... Strange." He finshed awkwardly, the elder laughed at this. If Castiel thought this girl was weird, he could only imagine what she was really like. He had to meet her.

"C'mon Cassie, she can't be that bad. We're going." Gabriel decided, grabbing his brother and flying towards the mysterious fledgling.

"Hey Elly. What are you doing over here? ... On your own?"

"Archangel Gabriel," The girl addressed him formally, bowing her head in respect, " I _was_ studying and uh, my name is Elizar."

"Yes, that it is. _So,_ Elly I was wondering-"

"My names, _still, _Elizar." She said, adding a slightly sarcastic 'Sir' on the end. Gabriel could see what Castiel meant, this fledgling was... Strange. There was an awkward moment of silence.

"You were wondering?" Elizar reminded him,

"Oh yeah." Gabriel started, "I was wondering if Cas here, could chill with you for a bit, while I go find the others."

"If that's what you require of me." She answered,

"Yeah... Thanks." Gabriel smiled,

"Of course, Archangel Gabriel."

"Really Gabe or Gabriel is fine." The older angel insisted, hating the way his title made the fledgling seem much older. She just stared blankly at him, it was if she was the, even more, weird version of Castiel. Once again, silence fell between them, until Cas finally spoke up,

"What's that?" He asked, and they all looked down at the book in Elizars hands. Gabriel was surprised to see a Devils Trap, taking over the majority of the page. He had no idea what a fledgling was doing looking at this sort of thing, but he made a mental note to find out. Elizar glanced between Gabriel and Castiel, luckily the girl saved him a lot of explaining and quickly turned the page.

"Oh its nothing for you to worry about brother. Here, if you'd like I can show you some fascinating healing sigils." Castiels face seemed to light up, at the prospect of learning something new and eagerly sat down. It seemed as if he was genuinely interested, even their sister now had a small smile on her face. Gabriel thought it suited her nicely.

"Well, I'll leave you two to it." Gabriel said, backing away and going to look for his other siblings.

* * *

It took almost an entire hour, but he eventually found the last of the fledglings and distributed them back to their guardians. It was time to retrieve his own. He flew back to the tree, where he had left his charge, only to find him fast asleep in their sisters lap. Gabriel was stunned, Castiel would normally refuse to sleep, unless the archangel was with him. As he grew closer, he watched as Elizar gently stroked her brothers wings, she looked relaxed and content, obviously she hadn't spotted him yet. Unfortunately, as cute as this was, Gabriel wanted his baby back, plus Elizars guardian was probably on their way to get her. He definitely wasn't jealous. Not at all.

The flapping of wings, alerted Elizar to another angels presence, and she was immediately on edge, silently chiding herself for becoming so distracted. Gabriel didn't know whether or not to be offended, at her protectiveness over Castiel, but he didn't know her enough to be able to judge, so he didn't. Smiling, he landed next to the pair,

"How did you get him to fall asleep?" He asked out of pure curiosity, because he wasn't jealous, he should be happy Castiel had made a friend. He was. Definitely.

"I honestly have no idea, I hope you don't mind Sir." She said, unconsciously still playing with Castiels feathers.

"Don't be stupid Elly." Gabriel replied, purposefully using her nickname,

"My name is _still _Elizar."

"Well my name isn't Sir either, you can call me Gabriel or Gabe, like most angels do." The archangel chuckled at her formality, but before she could respond a loud voice echoed across the Garden,

"Elizar!"

Castiel shot up, almost headbutting his sister, causing Gabriel to laugh at his fledglings confused expression. He bent down and picked up small boy, placing him upright by his side. Free, Elizar hurriedly checked her appearance, tucking the book under one arm as the bulky figure approached. It wasn't long before Gabriel was face to face with Zachariah and suddenly, some things about Elizar made sense.

"Ah, Archangel Gabriel, it is a pleasure. I apologise if Elizar has been causing any problems." Zachariah said, sending a stern glare to the younger angel, who seemed to become agitated and self - conscious, under his gaze.

A lot of sense.

"No, actually she was very helpful." Gabriel defended his sister, but it didn't seem to make a difference.

"Well, I'm sure you have matters to attend to. Let's go Elizar."

"Wait!" Castiel spoke up, as they turned to leave, "I just wanted to say thank you, I had..." He glanced up at Gabriel, " Fun. I hope we can do this again."

"Well Castiel, Elizar is very busy I doubt-" Zachariah was cut off by Gabriel, clearing his throat, "But I suppose if she works hard, she might be able to."

Gabriel nodded, there was no way Zachariah was taking the one thing Castiel found fun (not that Gabriel thought what Cas considered fun, was actually fun) away, because, well he didn't know his reasons, but they didn't matter. Elizar gave them a small smile, before leaving with Zachariah. Gabriel could tell this was the start of a beautiful friendship.

He _wasn't_ jealous.

* * *

**A/N: I'd love to know what you think, feel free to let me know down below or PM me x**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: This is my first supernatural fanfiction, so sorry if its completely terrible!**

**This is series of one-shots based on Castiel as a fledgling growing up etc. It will be angel-centric for obvious reasons with plenty of fluff and family drama in the later chapters. I unfortunately do not own supernatural or any of the characters in the show.**

**You can leave me a review in the box way below to let me know what you think and offer suggestions or PM me, however I may not get back to you straight away. If you want to get updates about when I update don't forget to follow my story below :)**

**I'm not sure whether I can update tomorrow, so here's one now ^-^**

**Enjoy x**

* * *

_**Do :** (Force them to) Play_

Sunlight danced lightly, across the archangels skin, filling him with warmth. The weather was beautiful and heaven was practically buzzing with happiness.

Raphael must be in a good mood.

Gabriel sat up, from his position on the grassy hill, and watched the children playing beneath him. It seemed as if all the fledglings, were participating in a game of tag. Except one.

"Come _on _Cas, why don't you join in with your other siblings?" Gabriel asked the young boy, currently staring at one of Joshuas' flower beds. Not that he minded his brothers company, but now was the time to enjoy the simple things, like playing games and messing around. Castiel just shrugged, his focus on a small bumblebee flying around.

"At least talk to them. Where's Elizar?" Gabriel questioned curiously, it had become a habit for the two of them to go off together, exploring, or reading one of the many books their sister would often be carrying with her.

"Training." Castiel answered, with an undertone of disappointment, "Like always." Gabriel understood how his brother felt, he had talked to Michael about Zachariahs 'methods,' but he'd been told that, because Elizar didn't have a problem with it, there was nothing he could do. Sometimes, he would see his sister wielding a practice sword, or with her head buried in an ancient text, and felt sad she had been exposed to their lifestyle, at such a young age. Even if she was one of the oldest fledglings, Zachariah could have waited a few more months, before tainting her innocence. Gabriel was snapped out of his thoughts, as Balthazar came running over.

"Gabe come play with us!" He shouted, sprinting up the hill, the archangel made to stand, before stopping and looking over at Castiel.

"You know Balthazar, I'm kinda tired, but I'm sure Cas would _love_ to play with you!" Gabriel said enthusiastically, using his powers, he made Castiel unable to speak and shoved him upright.

"Look he's speechless. Off you go, have fun."

Balthazar didn't question his older brother, instead he grabbed the younger and dragged him down the hill. Once they were at the bottom, Castiel could talk again and tried to tell his new companion, that he _really_ didn't want to play. His words of protest were promtly dismissed and he found himself struggling to keep up with Balthazar. He stopped trying to fight and instead increased his speed, so he was neck to neck with his brother.

"Oh, so that's how it is?" Balthazar laughed, calling out to all the other fledglings as the pair ran past.

"First one to the Great Oak, gets to pick the game!" All of a sudden, the earth began to shake, as all the young angels began to race towards a looming tree, in the distance. Castiel and Balthazar were still in the lead, with the older angel inching in front. Heavens youngest didn't know what came over him, but the prospect of his brother winning unleashed a burst of speed as they neared their destination. In seconds, he was rushing ahead and behind him he could hear Balthazar cheering his name, as Castiel skidded to a stop next to the Great Oak. A wide smile spread across his face, as his grace hummed within him. Moments later, his siblings were congratulating him, but he was still overwhelmed by the thrill of the race to notice,

"So what do you think?" Balthazar asked,

"That was... Amazing." Castiel said, deciding which word suited how he was feeling right now.

"I know, you're really fast!" His brother replied, seemingly impressed. "You won, so what game do you want to play?"

"Erm-" Castiel had never played any games before, but his brothers and sisters were all waiting expectantly for his answer. He struggled to think of, one of the many, conversations he'd had with Gabriel on 'fun'. "Hide and seek?" He said unsure, the others looked at him confused for a moment,

"Oh, he means hide and find." Balthazar laughed, and the other children became excited.

"I want to be the finder!" Anael shouted, "30...29...28..-" She started counting down and all the fledglings scattered.

"C'mon Cas, you can hide with me." Balthazar whispered, pulling his brother into the forest.

* * *

Castiel smiled, as yet another pair of feet ran past their hiding spot. So far no one had found them. Suddenly, there was a loud splat and something hit the back of his head. Cas gingerly reached up and felt his hair. His hand came back wet and sticky with... tree sap? He spun and glared at his brother, who was desperately trying hard not to laugh and reveal their location. Without thinking, Castiel grabbed a handful of sap, pooling beneath the tree, and launched it at his brother. Balthazar dodged, but not fast enough, as his light charcoal wings got coated in the goo. He looked as shocked as Castiel, but soon started to laugh and later the younger angel joined in too. After fighting each other for a while, Balthazar believed that it was only fair if their siblings joined in, so he quickly covered lots of leaves in the sticky substance, before going to find another fledgling. Castiel was uncertain and wondered if 'pranking', as Balthazar called it, his brothers and sisters, was a good idea. He didn't think they'd appreciate it, but Balthazar said that, that was the the point of a 'prank'. Sighing, he stopped arguing and sat patiently for someone to walk beneath the branch, they were waiting on. Finally, Anael walked under them and Balthazar dropped one of the sap bombs on her head. Castiel was worried they had upset their sister, until she started laughing.

"Good one, Balthy!" She called, from below. Eventually, the boys had managed to get all of their siblings at least once, not all of them took it as well as Anael, however they quickly made there own sticky leaves and were attacking anything that moved. Castiel still had one left, but instead of getting one of the fledglings in the woods, he snuck away. Balthazar noticed Castiel leaving and for a moment, he thought their brother had, had enough, but changed his mind, when he spotted the leaf in his hand. Figuring out Castiels plan, he swiftly catched up to his brother, to watch the plot play out.

Castiel cautiously, approached the unmoving figure from behind. He paused doubtfully, until Balthazar gave him an encouraging shove. Slowly, he raised his arm, carefully aiming the sticky mess. He took a second to steel his nerves, preparing himself for what was to come. He let loose the projectile, already turning and sprinting towards the tree atop the hill, where Balthazar was rolling on the floor with laughter. He hadn't waited around to see if or where it hit, but a cry of rage seconds later gave him a clue.

* * *

Gabriel sighed in content, it was a beautiful day, Castiel was off playing with the other fledglings. He was almost certain _nothing_ could ruin his day. Almost. Suddenly, he was blinded, as something hit him in the head. Startled, he sat up, frantically waving his arms around to get his bearings. He reached and peeled the foreign object off his face, throwing it to the side. He wiped the sticky stuff from his eyes, was this tree sap? He could hear laughter coming from above him, and spun to look for the perpetrator. Bleary eyed, the archangel could make out a pair of light charcoal wings, he should have known.

"BALTHAZAR!" He cried in anger, flying towards the laughing prankster.

As he grew closer, he could see that Balthazar was also covered in the substance. Gabriel landed with a thump, next to his younger brother, who noticing the elders mood, quickly rushed to defend himself.

"I swear it wasn't me!" he claimed, struggling to keep the smile off his face.

"Yeah I'm sure." Gabriel said, unconvinced,

"It really wasn't, tell him Cas!" Balthazar exclaimed, Gabriel looked up to find a guilty looking Castiel. There was no way - not his, overly serious, fledgling. The archangel gaped in shock for a minute, before Gabriel laughed, taking in the state of his brother. Castiel looked as if someone had coated him in glue, before dragging him through a hedge backwards, which was essentially what happened. It didn't take long for Gabriels intial suprise to wear off, and he quickly summoned his own ammo, to attack the boys with.

"This means war!" He shouted, before releasing his rath upon the fledglings.

In hindsight, Gabriel realised that, completely covering his fledgling in tree sap, was not the brightest idea, considering he had clean the angel up afterwards. Unfortunately, he couldn't just snap his fingers, to clean them both either. They just _had_ to use the tree sap from one of Joshuas special oaks, that were protected so they could not be affected, even by an archangels power. They both knew what this meant.

"Bath time!"

* * *

**A/N: I'd love to know what you think, feel free to let me know down below or PM me x**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: This is my first supernatural fanfiction, so sorry if its completely terrible!**

**This is series of one-shots based on Castiel as a fledgling growing up etc. It will be angel-centric for obvious reasons with plenty of fluff and family drama in the later chapters. I unfortunately do not own supernatural or any of the characters in the show.**

**You can leave me a review in the box way below to let me know what you think and offer suggestions or PM me, however I may not get back to you straight away. If you want to get updates about when I update don't forget to follow my story below :)**

**Here you go, as suggested by SoulReaperOfTheInnocent. Is this long enough? **

**Enjoy x**

* * *

_**Don't : **Leave unsupervised (or with Naomi)_

"I am _so_ bored." Balthazar repeated, for the twentieth time in the last minute,

"I know." Castiel replied grumpily, having his brother repeat this over, and over, and over again, wasn't improving his mood any.

"Where's Gabe?" The other fledgling asked, for the fifth time,

"He's _still_ busy, working. Like he was five minutes ago." Cas sighed in disappointment, it seemed like all the fledglings were feeling the affect, of the archangels absence. Normally, they would run around playing games, but today they just laid around, doing nothing. Now Castiel was never one for messing about, but doing something, anything, was better than doing nothing. Balthazar looked over to Naomi, who was supposed to be watching them, but instead was scribbling furiously on her clipboard, most likely writing about something also really boring. She probably wouldn't notice if all the children suddenly disappeared, and if she did, he doubted she would care. Hmmm... this gave him an idea.

"Hey Cas, what do you say we blow this joint?" Balthazar whispered to his brother, who stared at him confused.

"What does that even mean?" Castiel wasn't really bothered by his answer, because from the sound of it, it would only end badly.

"I have no idea. Gabriel said it when he snuck me out of the laundry department, after the 'Chalk incident'." Balthazar said and both boys cringed at the memories.

"I don't want to get into trouble." Castiel stated firmly,

"Oh come on Cassie, it'll be fun!" Balthazar begged, Castiel wasn't sure whether or not he liked his brothers version of fun. However, he could see Balthazar would go through with his plan, no matter what he said. He might as well go along to limit the damage, and say I told you so when everything goes wrong.

"I can't stop you, can I?" It was more of a statement, than a question.

"Nope." The elder replied popping the P,

"Fine." Castiel finally answered, he didn't know when he'd become so manipulable, probably the same time he met Balthazar. Said angel, was currently rolling towards some bushes opposite them. Castiel looked around to check for witnesses, before standing up and walking the short distance. When he crouched down next to his brother, he got a rant about how he needed to 'lighten up a little'. He had no idea how becoming brighter, would change anything, if not make them easier to spot. So, like Gabriel, Castiel ignored his brothers 'advice'.

"Follow me." Balthazar mumbled, creeping dramatically, towards the gates of the Garden. The youngest angel did as he was told, and made his way to the exit. It didn't take long to sneak out, but Castiel didn't know what they were supposed to do next. As if reading his mind, Balthazar spoke,

"Now, we explore," he paused looking left and then right, "Which way should we go?" Finally Castiel was being asked for his input.

"Left leads to the angel training grounds and eventually our nests, right goes towards the archives and armoury." Castiel recited, as he remembered the places Elizar had taken him; Of course then, they had Gabriel with them, or at least his permission. It had been a while, since Castiel had seen his sister, even longer since they'd gone exploring. She always seemed to be tired, whenever he'd see her, no matter how hard she tried to hide it. It was the little things, that gave it away; a smile that didn't reach her eye's or the way her grace flickered and dulled every so often. He could imagine how she'd react to Balthazars scheme, Elizar didn't get angry, just disappointed. Suddenly, he felt very unsure about this,

"Maybe we should just go back." His opinion was ignored, as Balthazar started heading right,

"We have an armoury... that is _so_ cool."

"Yes, very. Now can we _please _go back."

"Come on Cas, stop being such a baby. Let's go." Balthazar said, grasping the youngers arm. Castiel just knew, he was going to regret this.

* * *

As they approached the building, Castiel realised his mistake too late,

"Balthazar wait!" He called out quietly, but his brother had already gone in.

"Cas, I thought we had discussed thi- Hang on, this isn't an armoury." His brother said, looking into the hall, filled with training equipment.

"That's what I was going to say." Castiel said, peeking around the corner. They could hear the sounds of fighting, but hadn't found the source.

"Look over there," Balthazar said, spotting two figures in the corner, "Isn't that Elizar?"

Castiel could make out the deep mahogany, of their sisters wings and nodded in confirmation. That meant that, the other angel must be Zachariah, they should go, _now._

"Balthazar come on, you've had your fun. Lets go before we're caught." Castiel urged,

"Don't worry, we'll leave soon. I just want to watch for a minute. I think this is the closest I've ever been to her, she's always so... I dunno, strange."

"She's actually really nice, when you get to know her." Castiel said defensively, wishing his other siblings, knew their sister, the way he did.

"Hah, what could you possibly know about her? She doesn't talk to anyone." Balthazar asked,

"She talks to me. We're friends, how do you think I know where everything is, she told me." Balthazar gaped in suprise,

"What? When? How?" He rambled,

"Over the last couple of weeks, Gabriel came with us, or said that I could go, as long as I stayed with Elizar."

" Luc-!" Castiel clamped his hand over Balthazars mouth, and pointed towards the other angels, in the room with them. Once again, they returned to silence and focused on the older fledgling, at the end of the hall. She had two, short, wooden staffs in her hands, and was hitting a tall, grey, cylinder shaped thing, with smaller cylinders sticking out the sides. They watched in awe, as she did a series of complex maneuvers, before delivering a final strike, with her right stick, around the same height as Zachariahs head. Both boys were extremely impressed and slightly scared of Elizars performance. Apparently Zachariah wasn't,

"AGAIN!" The elders bellowing voice, echoed, in the expansive room. Elizars only response was, to get back into her previous position, raise her weapons and begin over. Castiel didn't understand what she'd done wrong, but he found watching his sister fight was breathtaking. She seemed to glide across the floor, her movements were controlled and precise; elegant and terrifying, all at once. He noticed this time, that she sped up, as she approach the finishing move. Elizar lifted her right hand and brought it sharply down, however unlike before, there was a loud crack. The wood splintered and broke, when it came into contact with the grey slab, shards of the staff littered the floor. Once more, she turned to Zachariah, her features blank of emotions,

"That was better, Adequate. You are done for the day." With that Zachariah took his leave, Castiel sat stunned at what he'd witnessed, Gabriel would never treat him like that. His focus returned to his sister, as she slid tiredly to the ground, obviously exhausted. Unable to resist, Castiel stood and left his hiding spot, moving towards his sister. Elizars head was resting against her knees, pulled up to her chest, unaware she had an audience.

"Elizar, are you alright?"

The fledglings head, snapped up so quickly, it caused Cas to jump.

"Castiel, what are you doing here!?" She exclaimed, checking for anyone else,

"Me and Balthazar snuck out and he wanted to go to the armoury-" Castiel rambled on, until Elizar cut him off,

"Woah, slow down. Where's Balthazar?" She asked, noticing Cas was currently alone.

"Balthazar come out!" Castiel called out behind him,

"No."

"Why not?" Castiel questioned,

"Cause she's crazy!" Balthazar cried, "Look at that poor stick."

"There's no need to be scared, now who's being a baby." Castiel taunted, trying to trick his brother, into joining them. It worked and Balthazar stepped into sight, poking his tongue out at them, before stomping over.

"Fine. Now what?"

"Now, I'm taking you back." Elizar stated, starting to stand. For a moment, her head swam and the aching in her muscles, increased to a burning sensation. Nevertheless, she forced her way up; pushing the pain and fatigue, to the back of her mind.

"Unless you'd rather I call Zachariah back, and have him escort you. I doubt he'll be as forgiving or understanding." This silenced Balthazar instantly, and she grabbed them both, not letting go, until they were outside the Garden.

* * *

As the trio walked through the gates, they were quickly confronted by a furious Naomi,

"Castiel, Balthazar you are in _big_ trouble! How dare you wonder off like that? What were you thinking!?"

The short walk over here, had taken more out of Elizar, than she expected. Having Naomi screeching in her ears, definitely wasn't helping.

"Naomi, if you'd please let me explain. I'm sure that there has been some sort of misunderstanding." This got the angels attention, and she turned her icy gaze on Elizar.

"Oh really, because I'd love to know how your involved in this, little escapade, of theirs."

"Well, if you'd give me a chance, I will." She retorted in frustration, Naomi flared her grace and Elizar spread her wings protectively, in front of her brothers.

"You do _not _want to challenge me."

Elizar struggled to hide, just how weak, Naomis show of power, had made her.

"Im sorry If I offended you, that was not my intention." Naomi huffed, but let the child speak.

"You see, Archangel Gabriel gave me permission to take Castiel, to one of my training sessions. Balthazar wanted to come too though and I didn't think it would be a problem, so I took them both." Elizar lied easily,

"Do you have any idea, how much trouble your in!? Just wait, until I get a hold of your guardian!" The older angel shouted and Elizar actually felt fear, surface from inside of her. This only worsened, as Gabriel himself, landed next to the group. Elizars confidence deteriorated and the dull throbbing behind her eye's increased, causing spots to dance in her eyes.

"What's going on?" Gabriel asked casually as he walked over,

"Gabriel, this fledgling _claims_ you gave her permission to take Castiel. Is this true?" Naomi spun, addressing the archangel. Gabriel looked over the her shoulder and met Elizars gaze, there was something pained about it. The way her wings were partially flared, in a protective manner, before her brothers, all suggested that there was something bigger going on. He'd get answers soon, but first he'd have to get rid of Naomi.

"Yes, didn't you get my message." Gabriel said, confirmating Elizars story.

"No! Even so, she took Balthazar without my consent and now she must be punished. I will be speaking with her guardian, we need to make an example!" She ranted angrily,

"Naomi, I'm sure you're busy. Let me handle this, I'll even talk to her guardian." Gabriel said trying to get rid of her. This seemed to work, Naomi gave Elizar a smug smile, and then flew off. Once she was gone, Gabriel turned his attention to the three fledglings, "Answers. _Now."_

Castiel and Balthazar, who were silent up until now, suddenly exploded with noise, both rushing to explain. Meanwhile, Elizar remained silent, trying not to sway unsteadily on her feet. Dizziness clouded her mind, as her vision narrowed and blurred. She could hear Gabriel ask her something, but it was as if she was listening from underwater. Darkness invaded her sight, before the world tilted, and the ground was rushing up to meet her.

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**A/N: I'd love to know what you think, feel free to let me know down below or PM me x**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: This is my first supernatural fanfiction, so sorry if its completely terrible!**

**This is series of one-shots based on Castiel as a fledgling growing up etc. **

**You can leave me a review in the box way below to let me know what you think and offer suggestions or PM me, however I may not get back to you straight away. If you want to get updates about when I update don't forget to follow my story below :)**

**IM SORRY OKAY! I know this has taken forever to upload but I've been busy. I mean look at the size of this chapter. Is _this_ long enough?**

**Enjoy x**

* * *

_**Do:** Protect them._

Elizar woke in a room, that practically glowed, it was so white. The last thing she remembered, was taking her brothers back to the Garden, after that everything gets fuzzy. Pushing herself upright, Elizar let her eyes wander. She was surprised to find Gabriel asleep, on the sofa opposite, with Castiel and Balthazar using him as a makeshift bed. She cleared her throat loudly, watching in amusement, as Gabriel launched foward, dislodging the two fledglings, who landed in a heap on the floor.

"Look who's up" Gabriel said, "Took you long enough."

"Arch-" Elizar was cut off, before she could continue,

"That's _it._ I order you to stop calling me that."

"If that's what you wish... Sir." She retorted,

"Or Sir!" Gabriel exclaimed in frustration,

"Yes ma'am."

"I give up." Gabriel sighed, failing to hide the smile clear in his eyes. Castiel hurriedly moved to Elizars side, while Balthazar hung back, shifting his feet awkwardly, not knowing if he was welcome or not.

"C'mon Balthazar." Cas encouraged, and Balthazar chided himself for being so cowardly. He slowly approached the bed, shoving something in Elizars hands.

"This erm- is from us, it's a get well soon... thing. Gabriel thought it was a good idea, but it's okay if you don't like it." He said, unconvincingly. She looked down at the card, with 'Get Well Soon Elizar', written on the front and carefully opened it. Inside in elegant calligraphy, obviously Gabriels writing, was:

_Dear Sister,_

_I hope you recover soon._

_Lots of Love,_

_Castiel, Balthazar and Gabriel_

Also, in a scruffy script was:

Thank you for covering for us, I'm sorry you got hurt.

Mismatched fragments of memory, were slowly returning, of her argument with Naomi.

"Thank you." Elizar said, no one had done anything like this, for her, before.

"Open your gift next! I came up with the idea myself." Castiel said proudly. Inside there was three, long, thin, straps of leather woven together, each hanging a different feather in the centre. In the middle, was a large sunshine gold feather, with a smaller midnight black one on its left, and a light charcoal one, to its right. Gabriel took the present and fastened it around his sisters neck,

"I worked some mojo on it too, it's pretty much indestructible now." Gabriel said nonchalantly,

"Its beautiful, I love it." She replied sincerely,

"Well, it has got one of _my _feathers on it." Balthazar laughed, finally relaxing.

"Oh please." Castiel said,

"What?!" Balthazar exclaimed defensively.

There was a loud bang, as something hit the wall behind them, it seemed they were being too noisy. It was surprising there was anyone else in the infirmary, it was mainly used for heavens youngest, like Elizar, who couldn't heal themselves yet. A fledglings grace was so fragile, they couldn't just be zapped better, as too much power would overwhelm and kill them.

"What do you say we blow this joint?" Gabriel whispered loudly,

"What?" Elizar asked confused,

"We're leaving!" He announced.

"Where to?" Balthazar enquired,

"It's a suprise." Gabriel said gleefully,

"Cause they _always,_ turn out okay." Castiel commented.

"It was one time," There was a pause, "Maybe two. This time will be better."

"How reassuring." Elizar said,

"Yep." Gabriel replied, and with a snap of his fingers, they appeared in some sort of clearing, surrounded by walls of bright green, broken up by a large waterfall on one side.

"Never do that again." Balthazar groaned, looking unnaturally pale.

"Meh, it's quicker than flying." He said, summoning a red and white checkered blanket,

"What are you doing?" Elizar questioned,

"We're having a picnic." The archangel answered,

"A what?" Castiel asked,

"Give it a millennia." He said, looking up at the fledglings, who were stood doing nothing. "This might take me a while, why don't you go play?" Elizar gave a huff of laughter, while Balthazars eyes lit up and Cas remained neutral.

"Go. Play." Gabriel used more force this time, and the boys ran off, well, dragged in Castiels case, yet his sister remained.

"I don't play." She said,

"Why?" He protested childishly,

"Zachariah says it's a waste of time."

"Well Zachariahs boring," Gabriel sighed, her sister was as stubborn as Lucifer and serious as Michael. Not a good combination.

"At least do ... something."

"Like?"

"I dunno. Make daisy chains and lie in the sun?"

"There's no daisies and Zachariah would smite me, if I stained my robes." Gabriel let out a sound of frustration, trying to think of something outdoorsy for her to wear.

"I've got it!" With a snap of his fingers, the white, toga like, outfit she was wearing, changed into 3/4 length camouflage pants and plain, dark beige, v-neck. It was very futuristic, military. Perfect.

"Now, go lie in the sun." Gabriel repeated, his sister shrugged and did as she was told. Of course, Cas and Balthazar wanted 'costumes' of their own, so he gave the boys black tops and shorts, in a similar style to Elizars. Finally, with everyone satisfied, he began to work on his picnic.

* * *

"Okay everyone, gather around!" The archangel called, overly excited. He was proud of the mouthwatering feast he had created, full of sweet delicious desserts and some savoury too. Castiel and Balthazar were there in seconds, curious about Gabriels 'picnic'. Elizar took longer, slowly stretching out, before rising to her feet. It looked like, she had been taking a nap, and Gabriel wondered if he had stolen her from the infirmary, too soon. He reached out and felt her grace with his own, it seemed to be back to normal. The eldest angel relaxed, focusing on the mountain of food, just waiting to be eaten.

After explaining in depth, the concept of eating, they finally began. Balthazar grabbed as much chocolate cake as possible, shovelling into his mouth, loving the sickly, sweetness, that filled his senses. Castiel was taking a more savoury route, with honey sandwiches and beefburgers. Elizar was picking at a fruit salad, apparently uninterested, but he'd spotted her liking for strawberries. Meanwhile, the archangel himself, was sampling a bit of everything, it was all so good. All was going smoothly, until Balthazar believed Castiel _had,_ to try some of the 'jelly'. The fledgling launched, the wobbly food, at his brother, only to miss and hit their older sister instead. Silence fell, as they waited fearfully for Elizars reaction. Slowly, she reached up and wiped the offending substance off her face. Without thinking, she grabbed the pie by her side and threw it back at her brother. Castiel cracked up with laughter, but Balthazars face darkened.

"It's ON!" He cried, catapulting a cake at his sibling,

"Food Fight!" Gabriel announced, randomly chucking leftovers at the fledglings. Chaos spread, as well as the picnic, across the clearing. Chocolate bombs dropped, followed by meatball grenades. By the end, all of them were painted a variety of colours, as if a rainbow had thrown up on them. Looking around at the mess, Gabriel was about to snap it clean, when he got a better idea. Sneaking up behind Balthazar, he lifted the angel off the ground, throwing him into the water. Castiel was next, begging him not to, reminding him that he couldn't swim, before being hurled in. Gabriel wasn't worried, as angels didn't need to breathe, but Elizar apparently was. She sprinted towards the water, jumping in and pulling their brother up through the surface. Gabriel should have felt guilt, but instead found it hilarious, until moments later when he was pulled in by Balthazar. They mucked around for a bit, Castiel using Elizar as a raft, however It was all over too soon. Gabriel was summoned by the eldest archangel, but everyone was enjoying themselves so much, it would be a shame to stop now. He wouldn't be gone long, plus Elizar had taken care of Castiel before.

"Hey guys, I need to go talk to Mikey for a bit. Stay with Elizar until I'm back, she's in charge." Gabriel called out, before flying off. Once out of sight, Balthazar ran out of the water towards the surrounding forest, shouting,

"Lets play hide and find!" Elizar sighed,

"Balthazar come back!" She ordered, but got no reply. Her and Castiel climbed out, moving to the edge of the clearing.

"Balthazar this isn't funny. Gabriel left me in charge and I order you to come back!" She shouted in frustration. Once more there was no answer, she turned to her youngest brother, "Castiel wait here, I'll be back in a minute." She said and entered the woods. It didn't take long to find her sibling, following the trail of water,

"Found you, now lets go."

"Aww. You're no fun." Balthazar pouted, but went with his sister. When they returned to the clearing, they found it empty,

"Where's Cassie?" Balthazar questioned,

"He was _supposed_ to be here." Elizar said, struggling not to repeat, some of the curses, she'd learnt from Zachariah. This time she brought Balthazar, as she looked for the missing fledgling. Finally, she found Castiel, studying a butterfly, in a patch of wild daisies.

"Castiel, I told you to stay in the clearing." Elizar said, coming up behind him,

"Sorry." He replied sheepishly,

"It's fine, lets just get back." Then it dawned on her, "Does anyone know the way?"

Balthazar shook his head,

"I just followed the butterfly."

"Great." She said sarcastically, closing her eyes and listening for the sound of water. Nothing. "This time stay here. No fooling around."

"Where are you going?" Balthazar asked,

"Up." Elizar replied, pointing at a nearby tree. Without warning, she began to run towards the large oak, she leapt into the air, propelling herself off the trunk and into the branches above. Standing, she started to climb higer, looking for branches that could hold her weight. A fall from this height wouldn't kill her, but still do damage. The higher she got, the weaker her perches became, and soon she was forced to stop. Peering through the leaves, she saw the expansive forrest, from a birds eye view. The green seemed to go on forever, but she could make out a curved strip of less dense foliage, hopefully where a river ran through. She made a mental note to head East, before starting her journey down.

About halfway, she heard a loud cry of pain, followed by shouts from Castiel. Safety forgotten, she threw herself at random branches, leading her the shortest route to the ground. When she got there, she found Balthazar cradling his right arm to his chest, tears flowing down his face.

"What happened?" She asked, moving to the injured brothers side, while the other explained Balthazars, stupid, idea to climb the tree.

"Let me see." Elizar said reaching out, the younger resisted at first, but soon gave in. There was a lump, where the bone had shifted, but luckily didn't break the skin. Elizar knew she'd have to set, and splint it, until they got back, so sent Castiel to find the two straightest sticks he could. She started tearing strips of fabric off the bottom of her t-shirt to use, when he returned with what she asked. She didn't warn Balthazar, and quickly slipped the bones into place. He gave a cry of pain, almost passing out. Elizar had practiced healing with Zachariah, but nothing this serious. Nevertheless, she placed her hand on Balthazars, letting her grace flow between them. Waiting until her brothers pain eased, Elizar cut the connection. She felt drained, and had to rest a while, to regain some of the strength she had lost. Her brothers sat either side of her, and she spread her wings around them.

Elizar couldn't tell how much time had passed, but she knew that they needed to get moving."C'mon guys lets go." Elizar said, standing up unsteadily, she was still weak, but could walk. Slowly, Balthazar and Castiel got up, and followed their sister through the woods. Elizar had decided to leave the splint on, unsure of how far she had healed Balthazar, yet with the amount he was complaining about it, she might change her mind.

* * *

They had been walking a long time now, and Elizar could tell she wasn't the only one running on empty. Castiel kept tripping up and Balthazar was being quiet for once. Up ahead, the path narrowed immensely, with a blockade of trees one side, and a steep rocky slope into a brown swamp the other.

"Once we make it across, we'll rest for a bit okay? Ill climb another tree and see how close we are to the river." She said and her brothers seemed to perk up. Carefully, she made her way along the path. Once across, she held out her hand for Balthazar. With one brother safe, she turned back for the other, but only caught a glimpse of ebony feathers, as he slipped and tumbled into the pit below. Without hesitation, she jumped, hitting the steep ground at a run and dove into the dark mass, after her disappearing brother. She struggled to move at first, the thick liquid pulled at her limbs, slowing her down. She couldn't see either, but could feel Castiel calling out for her. When her hand came into contact with something solid, she held on tight and kicked with all of her might, until they finally broke the surface.

It wasn't over yet, they still needed to get back up the slope and from the look of him, Castiel was in no condition to climb. Still fueled by adrenaline, Elizar began to work her way up, to where a worried Balthazar was waiting. Every step she took, was accompanied with a burning ache in her muscles, a constant protest to her actions. When they reached the top, she had to lock her knees, to stop herself from collapsing. She was aware of Balthazar talking, as he helped their brother down from her back, but she didn't have the energy to answer. Instead she focused on Castiel, he was completely soaked, with a few minor bruises and appeared to be in shock. The main problem, was the large gash across his leg, grace seeping out of wound, where he had caught it on the way down. It took a moment, to make her muscles work the way she wanted, but she straightened and forced herself to walk. Castiel tried to remain unemotional, but couldn't stop the tears that slid down his face. Elizar fell to her knees, before gently laying a hand over the cut, once again letting her grace flow. Slowly, the injury healed, until it was nothing but a graze. When Elizar broke the bond, she was overwhelmed by drowsiness as her grace flickered and dimmed dramatically, forcing her to rest on all fours, while heaven spun around her. Seeing Elizar so weak, felt wrong to the boys, who had seen her so strong. Both helped her make a few, stumbling, steps into the forest, where she stopped, leaning heavily against a tree. Elizar didn't say anything, she just slid to the ground, her back grating against the rough tree bark, and opened her wings. The younger fledglings understood and took their place by her side.

* * *

Elizar had drifted for a while, but her brothers shouts, pulled her from unconsciousness. She panicked when she woke alone, until they came running from the bushes.

"Elizar we found it!" Castiel announced excitedly,

" Well, _technically,_ I found it." Balthazar added,

"Found what?" Elizar asked tiredly,

"The river." They both replied simultaneously,

"Okay, Im coming." She said, dragging herself up, only feeling slightly better. The other two went off, while Elizar trailed behind. Soon she could hear the crash of water, that would hopefully lead back to the clearing. Eventually, she caught up with the boys, who were standing at the edge.

"Be careful." She warned,

" We're fin-" Balthazar was cut off, as the ground beneath him crumbled away, and sent him sprawling into the river, Castiel following. A surge of energy filled her system, as Elizar shot after her brothers. She plummeted into the water, its icy grip causing her muscles to freeze up. When she rose above the surface, she scoured the river for any signs of the two. Elizar could make out the grey wings of one brother, but not the other. Exhaustion forgotten, she swam towards Balthazar, who was being pulled under by the current. Her brother latched on, as she reached out for him, barely able to keep his head above water. Elizar wasn't faring much better, her muscles throbbed, and sleep called in the back of her mind. She brought her brother closer, as they were pulled downstream.

"I can't see Cas." Balthazar shouted over the roar of rushing water, Elizar didn't reply and tried reaching out with her grace. It twinged under the pressure, but she kept going anyway. At last, she was rewarded with a response, up ahead. At the moment, she was too far behind, with Balthazars weight slowing her down, to get to him.

"Do you trust me?" She said to her brother, Balthazar knew if she'd asked him a week ago, his answer would be different, but now there was no question. He gave a nod and Elizar let go. She dove deeper into the water, tucking in her limbs, to become more streamlined. When she felt Castiels presence near, she pushed upwards and began to search again. A few metres away, she spotted a a pair of wings so dark, they could have only been her brothers, and moved towards them. When she got a hold of him, she checked to make sure he was all right, before turning to look for Balthazar. He was still a way behind them, and Elizar needed to slow them down. With one hand securely wrapped around Castiel, she extended the other and tried to hold on to riverbank. The sharp rocks, were coated in mud, slick beneath her fingers and she struggled to get a grip. The river was beginning to narrow, but she wasn't broad enough to reach both sides. That was until, she opened her wings, which were long enough to wedge Elizar in place. Still, the river pushed on unrelentlessly, and every so often, she was dragged back a bit, the rough walls slicing and tearing at her mahogany feathers. When Balthazars weight slammed into her, she was ripped free, her cries silenced, as the river sucked her in. The grip on her brothers was released, as she blacked out momentarily, waking in a fit of panic. White, hot, pain clouded her senses, as she tried to find her siblings.

Luckily, Castiel and Balthazar had a hold on one another, but now their sister was missing. The youngest had never felt true fear before, but now he was terrified, not for himself, but for his family. He couldn't see or feel his sister, and his brother was barely able to keep them both afloat.

Castiel was scared, that much was obvious and Balthazar hoped his own fear, wasn't as open. He'd lost track of Elizar; normally, he could rely on his older siblings for help, when he got in trouble, but now he was the oldest, he had no idea what to do. As it turned out, he didn't have to, as his sister reappeared a short distance upstream. She quickly made her way over to them, and they were all relieved to be together again. Their problems weren't over yet though, as the river widened dramatically, before disappearing completely. It was too late to stop now, the strong current pulled them ever closer to the waterfall. The three siblings held on tight to each other, as they fell over the edge, into the waiting abyss.

* * *

Gabriel was seconds away, from having a full blown panic attack. He'd been gone, no more than an hour, but when he came back, there was no sign of the fledglings. He'd looked for them everywhere, but hadn't found a trace. The archangel returned to the clearing and was about to fly off, when the three young angels began their trip, down the waterfall. In the blink of an eye, he was there to catch them, plucking the trio out of mid-air. Gabriels long angry speech was forgotten, as he took in the state of them, he would smite them later, but first they could use some help.

This time when Elizar woke in the infirmary, Castiel and Balthazar were in beds either side of her, with Gabriel sprawled across the sofa again. She laid down and drifted back to sleep; Her brothers were safe and that's all that mattered.

* * *

**A/N: I'd love to know what you think, feel free to let me know down below or PM me x**


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